The Unusual Way of Jesus
As we consider the week leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are moved by His unwavering and determined love for us. He had a purpose and it was to get to the cross. There He would defeat sin, the enemy, and death. But He did it in such an unprecedented way: through seeming weakness and humility.
The week before, He entered Jerusalem at the height of His popularity. He had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. There was a fervent buzz going around about His leadership abilities and power. They wanted to make Him King of Israel. If He could raise the dead, there would be no defeating Israel.
But Jesus did something strange. He chose a small donkey on which to enter the city. A typical leader would have ridden in on a strong war horse, displaying their authority and command. But not Jesus. He knew the fickleness of the world system, always looking for power and control. He wasn’t going to feed their system. He was doing a new thing.
As He washed the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper, He showed that He came to serve and not to lord power over them. With empathy and understanding, He explained to his disciples that they would all turn away, but He would not be alone… His Father would be with Him.
As He prayed with his friends in the Garden of Gethsemane, he sweated drops of blood. The stress of carrying the sins of humanity was overwhelming. He healed the ear of the soldier who Peter tried to protect Him from. He did not play a political game with Pilate to save His own life. He allowed the lies and false accusations to go undefended.
Jesus experienced the worst of humanity: the beatings, the mockery, the ridicule, having to carry his own cross through streets of jeers and disrespect, the pain of the nails in his arms and feet, the crown of thorns on his head, the shame of his nakedness, the torture and asphyxiation of his death sentence. None of it was enough to defeat the LOVE and grace of God.
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19, NLT)
Although this week leading up to Sunday gives us pause to contemplate the enormous sacrifice and suffering that God endured through Christ for us, the day of celebration inevitably comes… when we acknowledge that a resurrection did happen! And with that demonstration, God speaks to us: “You are loved and I will go to any length to convince you of your value to me. Sin is no longer an issue between us. Your redemption is here. All is well!!”
It is in the celebration of Resurrection Sunday that we embrace the newness and preciousness of life everlasting. A life we are experiencing in the here and now, amidst our weaknesses and amidst a fallen world… who we love with the love of God, extending that message of reconciliation to all with kindness and grace.
We are home. We are wanted. We are loved.
Oh Happy Day!!